About the Book: Publication Date: February 24, 2015 Kensington Books Formats: eBook, Paperback Pages: 288Series: Book One, The Arnaud Legacy Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal Sixteen-year-old Phoebe Irving has traded life in San Francisco for her stepfather’s ancestral mansion in rural England. It’s supposed to be the new start her family needs. But from the moment she crosses the threshold into the ancient estate, Phoebe senses something ominous. Then again, she’s a little sensitive lately—not surprising when her parents are oblivious to her, her old life is six thousand miles away, and the only guy around is completely gorgeous but giving her mixed messages.But at least Miles doesn't laugh at Phoebe’s growing fears. And she can trust him…maybe. The locals whisper about the manor’s infamous original owner, Madame Arnaud, and tell grim stories of missing children and vengeful spirits. Phoebe is determined to protect her loved ones—especially her little sister, Tabby. But even amidst the manor’s dark shadows, the deepest mysteries may involve Phoebe herself…

Review: Phoebe's family has picked up and moved from sunny San Fransico to dreary England to live in a long abandoned mansion. This is a big change for sixteen-year-old Phoebe, but she is taking it in stride knowing that something she did but can't quite remember is the reason that her family must move. Phoebe's step-father is heir to the Arnaud Manor in England, a mansion built in the 1700's for wealthy French expatriates; this is where Phoebe, her little sister Tabby and her mom and step-dad must now live. Phoebe begins to explore the vast rooms of the mansion, she finds some weird things and begins to have creepy visions. When Phoebe meets Miles, a cute boy her age who enjoys swimming as much as she does, Miles tells her the legend of Madame Arnaud, who is said to still haunt Phoebe's new home. Together, Phoebe and Miles find out the Madame Arnaud is still around, and she wants to hurt Phoebe's little sister. Miles and Phoebe try to stop Madame Arnaud, but they must battle their own demons first.

Haunted has a great premise for a different type of Young Adult Paranormal read. The setting was perfect, a creepy, old mansion with plenty of rooms, hidden passageways and a tragic history that pulled me into the mystery. Madame Arnaud's legend was also especially disturbing and unique. Phoebe's character was easy to relate to for a sixteen-year-old, she was strong but had plenty of issues to deal with including boys, parents and jealousy over her baby sister. When I read horror and paranormal books I like to feel unsettled by the themes, setting and characters for the majority of the read. In Haunted I did figure out the big plot twist rather early on, taking away some of this feeling. Much of the mystery for me was then turned to how Miles and Phoebe would fight Madame Arnaud. I would still be interested in reading the next book in the series since many questions about Phoebe and Miles are left unanswered. Overall, this was a good paranormal story with a fairly predictable twist.

Lynn Carthage is a novelist living in Sacramento, California, near where the Gold Rush launched. Under her real name, she was a Bram Stoker Award finalist. Born in Vermont, Lynn has lived in Maine, Ireland, and Arizona. She reads voraciously, loves anything French, gets “itchy feet” to travel on a regular basis, and finds peace in the woods, in meadows, in nature. She has always been fascinated by how history allows us to imagine how people of the past lived and breathed and felt.HAUNTED is her first young adult novel, and will be followed by the next two books in the Arnaud Legacy trilogy.For more information please visit Lynn Carthage’s website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

This novel interests me greatly since it is captivating, intriguing and fascinating. I love the locale which is my ultimate favorite, England, since I love British novels, and a haunted mansion. Your wonderful review made this novel come alive and the characters sound compelling. thanks for this great giveaway and feature.

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Sabine B

2/28/2015 03:41:30 am

This book has a promising story line, I would really like to read this book, great review btw.

I love the synopsis of this! Love haunted reads! And this cover is gorgeous!

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bn100

2/28/2015 02:16:16 pm

it sounds suspenseful

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Tiffany Holme

3/1/2015 11:12:46 am

Well ominous, dark shadows and mystery are in the synopsis so I am intrigued. I really think it'll be an interesting read and from your review I am interested in learning more about the visions. I love books with visions in them :) Thank you for the honest review and the chance to win!
Elizabeth Holme on Rafflecopter

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Hi there! I'm Stephanie and I obviously love reading. As, the title suggests, I read at least one hundred pages a day. I enjoy most book genres; however, my favorites are historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, thriller, horror and YA. I also read a lot of non-fiction science and gardening books for my occupation. I enjoy reviewing books and as always, any book that I receive for free is read in return for my honest review.